These are the rugby headlines for Friday March 18 as the Six Nations finale approaches
Healey tells England to look at Gatland
Former England and Lions star Austin Healey believes Warren Gatland must be considered by the RFU to rescue their fortunes.
Healey questions why Eddie Jones should keep his job if England fall to France on Super Saturday, a result which could see them finish as low as fifth if Wales smash Italy and Scotland overcome Ireland. In a no-holds barred column for the Telegraph he argues Jones needs to "change significantly" if he is to remain in the role.
READ MORE: What every team is playing for on Super Saturday
Healey names Gatland as one of the men England should consider, following his huge success with Wales between 2008-19. Under Gatland's watch Wales were the dominant force in the Six Nations, winning three Grand Slams and another title in 2013.
"The last two years have not been anywhere near good enough. If England lose on Saturday, something has to change," wrote Healey.
"One of the major problems is that Jones is always coming up with good excuses. There has always been a complaint, a theme, a change of staff.
"I cannot see Eddie working for anyone else. So, if you said you wanted to put someone above him in a director of rugby role, he would pull the plug himself. Even though in that scenario you could have someone there to control selection, the media and enable Eddie just to coach - and he is undoubtedly a good coach, as we have seen many times.
"Then you might be in a better position. The names that come to mind are Stuart Lancaster, Mark McCall or Rob Baxter - although I could never see Baxter leaving Exeter. Does Warren Gatland want the job? Could you tempt him back from the Chiefs in New Zealand to come and take over before the All Blacks consider appointing him in 2023?
"Nobody else in World Rugby has the financial might of England. That can be a factor."
Healey said Lancaster "would be the obvious person" for such a role but continued: "What is clear is that there needs to be some change. Whether that's personnel, or Jones changing himself.
"He has to be more amenable. He has been very defensive with the media, almost to the extent where nobody else's opinion matters but his. 'I don't read the papers - oh by the way, don't say that about me.' Either you read them, or you don't.
"Put some fun back into the job. Every press conference there is a dig at something, or a wry smile. It's time for the excuses to end and for someone else to start a new journey - win, lose, or draw against France.
"That French side are just too good and England are just not good enough. Which leaves Eddie's job in a perilous position. Either he changes - again! - or his job is changed."
France versus England winds up Super Saturday, with Wales kicking off the afternoon against Italy in Cardiff and Triple Crown chasing Ireland then meeting Scotland at tea-time.
The title is between France and Ireland, while Wales, England and Scotland could each finish anywhere between third, fourth and fifth.
Shamed All Black sentenced
Former All Black Zac Guildford has been sentenced to nine months’ home detention for two separate fraud charges, including one against his own grandfather.
The 33-year-old admitted stealing $41,500 from his grandfather via online banking and to another charge of defrauding a friend of $60,000 in May. Both acts were driven by a gambling addiction. He was also sentenced on Friday to driving charges relating to an incident last August.
"What's serious about this is it is offending against someone who's vulnerable," Judge Noel Sainsbury said. "It was a gross breach of trust and the impact of the offending will ripple through the family for a long time. This was classic addiction driven offending."
Stuff.nz report the court’s summary of facts stating Guildford stole $41,500 from his grandfather, with whom he had been living, between March 30 and April 9 last year. He was charged with illegally accessing an online banking account on nine separate occasions transferring as much as $10,000 at a time.
The summary of facts also described how Guildford impersonated his grandfather on multiple occasions to get the credit limit on the account he was stealing from extended and to check transactions had gone through. Following the discovery of the theft, Guildford did not return to the house or respond to his grandfather’s calls.
The maximum penalty for the theft via computer charges was seven years’ imprisonment. A statement from Guildford's lawyer said: “Zac’s very pleased that this has been completed.
The outcome being one of a community-based sentence is appropriate. He definitely recognises the harms that his addictions and his behaviour have caused both his family, the victims and the wider community.”
Guildford made his All Blacks debut against Wales in 2009, going on to play at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Eddie - We followed protocols, just like Wales
Eddie Jones has been forced to defend the selection of his tight-head prop Kyle Sinckler just a week after Wayne Pivac had to do the same with Tomas Francis.
Wales came under fire from lobby group Progressive Rugby after picking Francis to face France less than two weeks after he had taken a blow to the head playing against England at Twickenham.
Progressive Rugby have raised similar concerns about Sinckler's involvement against the French this weekend after he had been replaced before half-time during last weekend’s home defeat by Ireland.
Sinckler has been cleared for a role on the bench as Jones' men seek to halt France's Grand Slam march.
Progressive Rugby issued a statement saying they "are deeply disappointed to see Kyle Sinckler selected to face France following what we maintain was a clear concussion last weekend. We place no blame on the player who wants to represent his country but on the protocols that should protect him."
However, Jones insisted that he was following professional guidance from the medics, something Pivac stated when launching a staunch defence of his own call over Francis.
"I only follow the medical protocols. We’ve got a very good medical staff," said Jones.
"Wales went through the same thing with Tomas Francis. There are protocols in place to ensure the wellbeing of players and it’s not for me to second-guess the medical staff.
"He goes through the protocols and we get an independent professor to judge his status to play the game, then we take that into consideration and if it’s positive then he’s fit for selection."
Russell axe causes shockwaves
Finn Russell's shock Six Nations axe is the rocket up his backside that he needs, according to former Scottish forward Jim Hamilton.
The 63-times capped ex-second row reckons Gregor Townsend has made the right call to drop his star No.10 for the clash with Ireland and plump for Edinburgh's unsung Blair Kingsholm instead. Russell was seen as undroppable and tipped to light up the Six Nations before the tournament started, but he has misfired and was particularly badly off key during Scotland's defeat to Wales in Cardiff.
But Hamilton said on the RugbyPass Youtube channel: "It’s a massive call and in my opinion, it feels like the right call. I feel awful saying that because I love Finn. I love him. I love what he’s done for Scottish rugby. I love his character.
“I feel bad saying it. He’s not been the same player. Maybe it is the rocket up his backside that he needs. It shows that he isn’t ‘not droppable’. There’s one player that is undroppable and that’s Stuart Hogg at 15. With Hoggy you are getting a seven, eight, nine, ten out of ten performance. Every single game. With Finn you’re getting a ten out of ten, or a six out of ten.
“The last few games we’ve been seeing six out of tens. We need to know with the World Cup, that we’ve got another player who can do it at 10."
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